Method and device for repairing an aircraft and/or gas turbine component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902024-B2
Application number	US-201314648121-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2013
Priority date	Nov 28, 2012
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for repairing an aircraft or gas turbine component, wherein the method comprises the following automated steps: a) checking the component for cracks by means of an optical measurement method, wherein determined geometry and/or damage data are stored with reference to the component, b) generating an adaptive processing strategy on the basis of the determined geometry and/or damage data in a data processing unit, c) machining the component, d) determining the changed geometry data of the component, e) performing repair welding, f) checking the component for cracks by means of an optical measurement method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for repairing an aircraft component or a gas turbine component, comprising:
(a) checking a component for damage via an optical measurement system, so as to produce damage data, and storing the damage data in a component-specific manner,
wherein the component is an aircraft component or a gas turbine component;
(b) generating an adaptive repair strategy based on the damage data,
wherein generating the adaptive repair strategy comprises processing the damage data via a data processing unit;
(c) machining the component in accordance with the adaptive repair strategy;
(d) gathering altered geometric data with respect to the component,
wherein the altered geometric data with respect to the component is based on how the component was altered by machining the component; and
(e) carrying out repair welding on the component,
wherein the damage data comprises a plurality of detected individual images,
wherein the plurality of detected individual images are put together by transformation and registration processes via the data processing unit to form a full image of the component,
wherein the full image of the component is broken up into a plurality of image portions,
wherein each image portion of the plurality of image portions is larger than the detected individual images of the plurality of detected individual images, and
wherein each image portion of the plurality of image portions is individually checked for damage, and structural features and damage of each image portion of the plurality of image portions is individually determined and differentiated on the basis of model parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) after (e), checking the component for damage via the optical measurement system, so as to produce additional damage data, and storing the additional damage data in the component-specific manner.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
after (e) and before (f), automatically adjusting the component to bring the component into a target form for the component.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the adaptive repair strategy comprises milling paths and/or a milling strategy that are automatically generated by the data processing unit.

5. The method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the altered geometric data is gathered by processing the damage data and the milling paths and/or milling strategy via the data processing unit.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
before (a), automatically adjusting the component to bring the component into a target form for the component.

7. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein checking the component for damage via the optical measurement system comprises:
checking the component for damage via the optical measurement system using a camera having a plurality of individual pixels,
wherein while checking the component for damage via the optical measurement system, current is individually regulated in each individual pixel of the plurality of individual pixels.

8. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein when damage detected in a first image portion of the plurality of portions reaches to an edge of the first image portion of the plurality of image portions, the damage detected in the first image portion that reached the edge of the first image portion is marked and is taken into account when analyzing a second image portion of the plurality of image portions that is adjacent to the first image portion.

9. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein generating the adaptive repair strategy comprises processing the damage data and predefined technological parameters, such that the adaptive repair strategy is a global repair program for the component.

10. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the adaptive repair strategy comprises an automated repair welding, and
wherein the automated repair welding is automatically scheduled by the data processing unit based on the altered geometric data of the component.

11. The method according claim 1 ,
wherein the altered geometric data is gathered by automatically scanning the component via the optical measurement system.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
after (e), repeating (a) to (e) at least once with respect to the component.

13. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the component is a gas turbine component made of a superalloy.

14. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the damage data comprises geometric data with respect to the component.

15. The method according to claim 14 ,
wherein the damage data comprises one or more of the following:
position data with respect to a position of damage on the component;
context data with respect to a context of damage with respect to a damage cluster;
crack data with respect to damage comprising a crack;
shape data with respect to a shape of damage;
burn data with respect to a burn; and
deformation data with respect to a deformation.

16. A method for repairing an aircraft component or a gas turbine component, comprising:
(a) checking a component for damage via an optical measurement system, so as to produce damage data, and storing the damage data in a component-specific manner,
wherein the component is an aircraft component or a gas turbine component;
(b) generating an adaptive repair strategy based on the damage data,
wherein generating the adaptive repair strategy comprises processing the damage data via a data processing unit;
(c) machining the component in accordance with the adaptive repair strategy;
(d) gathering altered geometric data with respect to the component,
wherein the altered geometric data with respect to the component is based on how the component was altered by machining the component; and
(e) carrying out repair welding on the component,
wherein the damage data comprises a plurality of detected individual images,
wherein the plurality of detected individual images are put together by transformation and registration processes via the data processing unit to form a full image of the component, and
wherein when damage detected in a first detected individual image of the plurality of detected individual images reaches to an edge of the first detected individual image of the plurality of detected individual images, the damage detected in the first detected individual image that reached the edge of the first detected individual image is marked and is taken into account when analyzing a second detected individual image of the plurality of detected individual images that is adjacent to the first detected individual image.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
(f) after (e), checking the component for damage via the optical measurement system, so as to produce additional damage data, and storing the additional damage data in the component-specific manner.

18. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
wherein the adaptive repair strategy comprises an automated repair welding, and
wherein the automated repair welding is automatically scheduled by the data processing unit based on the altered geometric data of the component.

19. The method according to claim 16 ,
wherein the altered geometric data is gathered by:
(i) automatically scanning the component via the optical measurement system; or
(ii) processing the damage data and the milling paths and/or milling strategy via the data processing unit.

20. The method according

Assignees

• Lufthansa Technik Ag

Inventors

• Ernst Michael
• Ullrich Thiemo

Classifications

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/50214

  Refurbish, refinish, reprofile, recondition, restore, rebuild profile · CPC title

• B23P6/002 Primary

  Repairing turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors, (B23P6/045 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49318

  Repairing or disassembling · CPC title

• Y10T29/5176

  including machining means · CPC title